Wireless apparatus for preventing collisions.



J. B ONHOMME. WIRELESS APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING GOLLISIONS.

I I V v APPLICATION FILED JULY 14, 1910. 1,073,088. Patented Sept.16,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J vwwlo t J. BONHOMME.

- WIRELESS APPARATUS ron PREVENTING GOLLISIONS.

APPLICATION TILED JULY 14, 1910. 1,()73,Q88 Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

2 SHEETS-S11E11: 2.

v JOSEPH BONHOMME, OF NICE, FRANCE.

-WIRELESS APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 14, 1910. Serial No. 572,002.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JosEPH BoNHoMME,

' a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at 3 Rue Pertinax, Nice,Alpes Maritimes, in the Republic of France, engmeer, have mventedcertain new and useful Improvements.

in Wireless Apparatus for Preventing Collisions, of which the followingis a specifi- I or a port when they are in the sphere of the cation. 7

lhe present invention relates toan electric installation intended toavoid collisions on the sea and also the stranding of ships-in placesregarded as'dangerous for navigation.

This installation comprises essentially sources of electricity andWireless telegraphy transmitting and receiving apparatus of aconventional form and very short range as well as ringing devices, thisplant being placed on ships or boats which will be called movablestations and also at places re.- garded. as dangerous to navigation,such as light-houses, entrances to ports, rocks, etc,

such places being called fixed stations. Each installation or stationalso comprises apparatus combined with the aforesaid apparatus andserving to automatically close the electric circuits of thecorresponding ringing devices when two or more ships or a movablestation and a'fixed station are situated for the moment in the sphere ofaction I of the Hertzian waves emitted by each of them. To eachinstallation there is also added an ordinary telegraph or telephoneapparatus permitting ships to communicate eit ier with each other orwith a light-house sayat both the sources of dai-iger such ringingsbeing adapted to be stopped temporarily for the purpose o'f'allowingtelegraphic or telephonic signals to be exchanged between the interestedparties.

So far as ossible each protection zone should be oft e same extent forall the ships or stations; such zone is conventional,- that is it may beof any extent considered des rable for proper navigation, of a radius,for instance, of about one, two, five or ten kilometers, ctc., aroundthe ship or tixcd station. Two ships, or a ship and a fixcdstation, onlyrender their ringing device operative respectively when theyare at adistance not exceeding a radius of the zone from each other.

According to this invention, each ship or each fixed station comprises aswitch apparatus operating continuouslyand having the effect ofconnecting alternately with the surrounding ether, the transn'iissionapparatus, and the wireless telegraphy receiving apparatus carried byeach ship or each fixedstation, the ear-thing wires being continuouslyimmersed in the water.

Should, at any. moment, two ships or a ship and a fixed station findthemselves in their protection zones, a current passes through theirswitch apparatus and the ring ing devices of the said ships or fixedstations ring loudly at once and continuetoring so long as the ships or"the fixed stations are located in the common part of their protection,zones. Should the two stations move out of such common art or shouldtheir protection zones no alarm bells .will stop automatically. The

captains of the ships are thus automatically] warned of the pi'esenceofan obstruction in the area in which their ships are sailing and of thedisappearance of such obstruction. In order to secure such result allthat need be done is to avoid absolute synchronism'between the periodsof emissionand reception of the two ships or of the fixed station theprotection zones of which overlap. Such synchronisni canbe avoided withcertainty by the means hereinafter described and shown. i

'In order to start the alarm signals as soon as the two ships or a fixedstation and a ship are situated in the same zone of protection, eachship or in each fixed station there is provided a wireless telegraphytransmission apparatus, the coil .of which is so adjusted as to producea similar or nearly similar spark in each apparatus and a wirelesstelegraphy apparatus receiving apparatus; this latter apparatus iscon'ibined with the alarm signals; these two transmission Patented Sept.16,1913.

ongcr overlap their andrec'eption apparatus being controlled by a theswitch-apparatus hereinbefore men-' tioned, It is to be observed,h'owever,'that 1f the fixed s ations consist of apparatuses identicalwith those of the movable stations, the wireless telegraphy receptionapparatus may be dispensed with in said fixed stations, withoutinconvenience, and further to advantage in certain cases leaving onlythe transmission apparatus for the purpose of emitting continuously andwithout interruption Hertzian waves in its protective zone.

One embodiment of this invention is shown by way of example in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus; the full linescorrespond to the period of emission of oscillatory waves, the receivingapparatus being inoperative as no other station is in their protectionzone to influence the same. The dotted lines show the positions whichcorrespond to the case where the receiving apparatus has just beeninfluenced by another apparatus, the transmitting apparatus being out ofaction for the moment. Fig. 2 shows one way of arranging the controllingrelay of the system as a whole when it is under the influence of anotherapparatus; and Fig. 3 shows another way of arranging the controllingrelay when under the influence of another apparatus.

In Fig. 1, the circuit 1, 2, 3, 4 comprising the batteries 1 and thecoil 2 give to the radiators 5 and 6 the spark necessary to transmit theHertzian waves through space by means of the wire 7 connected with theantenna 8.

4 is a switch and 9 a Morse key for testing the apparatus or for sendinga message.

Such transmission station may be of any suitable system. Theelectro-magnet 10 and its armature lever A automatically control suchemission apparatus at 3. The circuit 11, 12, 13 actuates the relay 13through the batteries 11.

12 is the radio-conductor (that shown in the drawings is of the filingstype). Such circuit and such apparatus, which constitute a wirelesstelegraphy receiving station, may be of any suitable system. However, toavoid the reception of waves not emanating from another similarapparatus, it must be syntonized with the transmitting apparatus bysuitable means. Such receiving apparatus is connected with the antenna 8by the contact 14: and the switch 15.

The whole of the receiving station is inclosed in a casing 16 forprotecting the receiving apparatus from oscillatory waves which may beeither injurious, extraneous, or parasitic .and which flow to the seathrough 17; the .wires leading from the casing pass through insulators18. Any other suitable form of receiving apparatus "may, however, beadopted.

The ground wire of the receiving circuit may be arranged in the usualway, whether what is termed the direct method of reception or the shuntmethod be employed.

19 is a battery of cells, 20 is an electromagnet actuating the leverarmature B; 10 designates an electro-magnet actuating the lever armatureA.

The operation is as follows 21 is a motor, such as a clock-work, or asmall electric motor, which actuates in a continuous manner the camwheel 22; the latter constitutes the switch which controls the whole ofthe system when not subjected to external influence and which willhereinafter be fully described. Assuming that the protection zoneselected is of a radius of 10 kilometers and that, for the moment,no'other similar station is situated in the same zone; the apparatuswill operate as follows: When one of the cams of the wheel 22 lifts theswitch. 23, no current will pass into the ele'ctro-magnet 10; thetransmission apparatus will not operate, its circuit being interruptedat 3, as shown in dotted lines. Vhen, on the contrary, the wheel 22allows the switch 23 to fall, the circuit 19, 10, 23,

19 will be closed, the electro-magnet 10 will 1 attract the armature Awhich, through14, will insulate the receiving apparatus from the antennaand then through the contact 3 actuate the transmitting apparaus, asshown in firm lines in Fig. 1.

As will be seen, through the switch 23, the cam wheel 22 controls thewhole of the system in connecting the antenna .8 alternately with thereceiving apparatus and with the transmitting apparatus, the latterbeing thus automatically started. To bal- I ance the circuits, the coil25, equivalent to the coil 26, is provided. Let us now assume thatduring one of the receiving periods controlled by the Wheel 22, anothermovable or fixed station, provided with a similar apparatus, sends waveswhich actuate the wireless telegraphy circuit 11, 12, '13. Immediatelythe coil 13 attracts the armature 27 the circuit 19, 25, 20, 19 isclosed and thearmature B becomes attracted to the coil 20. At thebeginning of its stroke the said armature B closes the circuit 19, 29,28, 19, which starts the alarm bell 29. Again at the beginning ofitsstroke, the armature B breaks the circuit 19,. 1 0, 23, 19; thedistributing action of the cam wheelv 22 is therefore stopped solong asthe armature B remains v completely or partially in contact with thecoil. Before the end of its stroke, however,

the armature B closes another circuit 19, 26,

30, 20, 19 which only begins to operate when the armature B iscompletely in contact, which constitutes an important feature; and

through the coil 26 this latter circuit actu,

ates the striking switch 31 which serves to destroy coherence in thefilings tube 12. So

long as 12 receives the Hertzian Waves coming from the outside, thearmature B will oth mesons remain in contact with the elcctro-ma-gnet 20and the cohere'r will be struck by the striker 31 in the usual manner,but as soon as these Waves no longer exert their'in'fluence on thecoherer '12, the circuits will be broken at27, and the armature B willbe returned by the spring 32; but the ratchet wheel 33 will thenintervene, such wheel receiving from the motor 21 a slow andr'eg'nlar'rotar'y motion.-

' The armature B has a. pawl 34 which becomes engaged in the teeth ofthe ratchet wheel 33 and which is so pivoted that the armature B isenabled tomove up suddenly the full extent under the influence of the(301120 but it can only-move down again very slowly in following themovement of the Wheel 53 which retains it by means of the pawl 34. QThisdevice is only given by way of example; two other devices giving thesame results and shownin Figs. 2' and 3- will be described hereinafter.

The temporary retention of the armature B isto enable it during itsdescent to dis- I tirbute periods of emission through and 2 of receptionwhich periods are fixed and equal for all similar'apparatus, the circuitcontrolled by the wheel 22 and the switch 23' being still out of action.Such distribution made by the armature B'on the contact 35 is for thepurpose of obtaining a continuous ringing at 29 so long as two stations,movable or fixed, are located in the same danger zone, (for instance atleast ten kilometers one from the other) irrespective of the time theyremain in such zone.- By way of example, the shortest reception periodcon trolled by the cam wheel 22'may be fixed at more than 10 seconds inall the similar cppa l ra-tus which may exist in the world. Let us nowsuppose two ships X and Z are pro vided with the present apparatus; assoon as they areless than ten kilometers from each of the two ships,say-the ship Z, through its switch 22, will automatically send waveswhich will be received by the apparatus of the ship X. Immediately thebar 3 of the apparatus of X will be attracted or in full contact andwill remain-so until the ship Z by means of its commutator 22,-ceases-tosend Hertzian waves and, through 22, has been'automaticallyrendered receptive. At this moment, the'bar B of X, released by theelectro-ma'gnet 20, will move down very slowly-"being retained by theratchet wheel 38; when released B willdescend from its stopping point soto zit/where it will est-ab l-ish a contact giving an emission; forefli-. ci'ent operation B should move from 36- to 35 in much less timethan ehgit required for the shortest reception period of 22; let usassume that the bar B will take five seconds to move from auto 35-. Asthe spparstus of Z; is rendered receptive by 22, since the bar w B- of'Xwas released 29-, and entire shorter, as will be hereinafter explained,one a est reception of the commutator 22 of Z is 10" seconds, it followsthat the bar B of Z will be armed or'in contact as soon as the bar B: ofX-has reached 3'5, that is to say five seconds after thelast emissionfrom Z. If we assume that the bar B of X during'its descent will insure15 seconds-of contact on and consequently 15 seconds of emission ofWaves, the bar B of Z will remain armed or in full contact during thewhole of this time As soon as the bar B of X'has left the-contact 35, itwill continue to move down in space, that is to say in the receptionphase, during 15 seconds before coming to rest again on 37. But,- duringthese 15 seconds of descent of the bar B of X in the reception pha thebar B of Z will also iefi'ect its first escent in the reception phase,ut such descent will only last five seconds so that it follows that thebar B of X'will be attracted or in full contact again as soon as the barB of Z has reached the contact 35. I

The bar B of X will remain in contact during the 15 seconds of emissionfrom the bar B of Z,- then after adescent of five seconds, the bar B ofX will arm in its turn the bar B of Z which. is then eifecting itssecond reception descent of 15 seconds, and so on so long as the twoships are less than ten kilometers one from the other and there is nofear of failure, the emission and reception currents of each shipsucceeding each other 'in consequence automatically and of thenr 1selves with a large margin of operation to avoid any cumulative action.During all these exchanges the alarm bells 29 of each I ship willcontinue toring.

v It will be understood that the times of 5, 10 and 1 5 seconds'givenabove may be changed, as they are only given as indication. It will alsobe understood that absolutesynchronism between the periods of emissionand of reception of the apparatus carried the two ships, should it occuraccidents 1y, might disturb such apparatus.

i synchronism can be safely avoided not only in adjusting the motors 21of the several apparatus at slightly different speeds, but also bygiving to the projections of the wheels 22 a series of slightlydifferent lengths for each ship, according to an 'agreed. code.

'Accordin to requirements and circumstances, eztc circuit may be givenitsunity and independence by providing as many series oi batteries asthere are circuits, instead of leaving all the circuits to be actuatedby: the battery 19, as shown in Fig. 1. In this case, as will beunderstood, it will be necessary to provide on each circuit a smallrelay for the purpose of actuating. the circuit which it is to control.

In Fig. 1, 15 designates a switch which,

latter having previously cut out the trans Wlll'lG such :1 case seemsunl1kely,.a-ny such mitting circuit at 4 and the receiving circuit at39, enables the Hertzian waves, coming from 8, to be directed through 38to an ordinary wireless telegraphy receiving device not shown in thedrawings, in order to receive despatches or telephone messages. In thiscase, the Morse key 9 serves for the transmission of telegrams; if thetelephone is employed all that need be done is to insert a suitableapparatus in the transmitting circuit. The bar B and its accessories,the ratchet wheel 33 and the contact system 35 are showndiagrammatically; in practice, any other system may be employed whichrenders the same services, as shown for mstance in Figs. 2 and 3.

In Fig. 2, the contact 35 is secured by frica tion. The bar B has ateach of its ends a toothed arc concentric with the pivot of the bar B.The are 41 actuates ,the toothed wheel 42, which is rigid with a wheel43 carrying a cam 44. The said wheel 43 normally bears, by means of astop piece'45, upon the contact 37 in such a manner as to limit themovement of the bar B when retracted by the spring 32. 44 and 45 areinsulated and are permanently in electric communication with 'each otherand with the circuit 40, Fig. 1. When the electro-magnet 2O attracts thebar B the latter in tilting causes the wheel 43 to rotate; the latter inrotating breaks the circuit at 37 and its cam in passing comes againstthe slightly flexible contact 35, but without establishing any electriccontact with the same as beneath the blade 35 another small blade 46 ofinsulating material is riveted and during the forward movement takes thefriction of the cam 44. On the bar B moving down, the cam 44 rotating inthe opposite direction then strikes the conducting blade 35 directly.The cam 44 is so arranged that on its return the predetermined receptionand emission periods are insured. The toothed are 42 actuates the tooth47 rigidly ,connected with the ratchet wheel 33. The ordinary wheel 48,to which a slow and continuoiis rotary movement is imparted by the motor21, is, as was explained for the ratchet wheel 33 in Fig. 1, independentof said wheel 33; it carries a pawl 34 held in mesh with the teeth of 33by a spring 49 so that the bar B is able to move up suddenly whenattracted by the electro-magnet 20, but can only move down slowly againwhen retracted by the spring 32 in following the movement of the wheel48. In order to simplify the members and the friction, the members 41and 42 may be dispensed with, and the cam wheel 43 and all the membersattached thereto may be carried on the shaft of 47 and of 33.

In Fig. 3, the contact 35 is insured by a rod dipping into mercury. Inthe depression of the bar B by the ratchetwheel the -retaining device isidentical with that shown in Fig. 2, but the other end of the bar isbare and terminates in a point forming the electric continuation of thecircuit 40. In the said device,.when the bar B'is attracted by theelectro-magnet 20, the end of the bar comes against and raises the blade50 which pivots at 51 and then falls down again onto its seat after thebar has passed. When on the contrary the1latter is released by theelectromagnet 20, it moves down slowly at first, (say during 5 seconds)in space, that is to say in leaving the apparatus at reception, then itcomes against the blade 50 in carrying the same along with it and incausing the point 52 to dip during 15 seconds in the mercury 35, thenagain, after the lapse of the said 15 seconds,'the bar B releases theblade 50, the emission is finished, and the bar B continues to insure inits descent a reception period-of 15 seconds before again coming intocontact with the contact 37 Thelever 53 pivots around the shaft 54. 55is its adjustable counter-spring and 56 is its abutment which is alsoadjustable. The serial antenna may also be replaced by a submarineantenna; in this case the water is employed as the means fortransmitting the Hertzian waves.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wireless apparatus for the prevention of collisions, a series ofstations each comprising the combination of a transmitter, a receiver,an antenna, a circuit comprising a battery, an electro-magnet and aswitch, means actuated by the said electromagnet to place saidtransmitter and receiver alternately in communication with the antenna,means mechanically actuated to open and close said switch continuouslyat predetermined intervals, a shunt on a part of the circuit whichcomprises the said switch, a swinging member, a relay controlled by thereceiver in the field of infiuence of another station and actuating saidswinging member to alternately cut out and close said shunt and part ofthe said circuit, whereby the alternations of emission and reception arecontrolled by the action of the said means mechanically actuated as longas the stations are outside the field of influence, and bytheoscillations of swinging member when the stations are within saidfield of influence.

2. In a wireless apparatus to prevent collisions, a series of stationseach comprising the combination of a transmitter, a receiver, anantenna, a circuit comprising a battery, and'electro-magnet and aswitch, means actuated by the said electro-magnet to put the transmitterand receiver alternately in communication with the antenna, meansmewhich comprises the said switch, a swinging member adapted'to cut outand close alternately the said shunt, and the said part of' the said.circuit, arelay controlledby the said receiver in the field of influenceof another station and actuating thesaid swing ing member, and retardingmeans adapted to make-the oscillation of. the said swing member last adetermined amount of time in the'direction in which it returns to closethe part of the circuit comprising the switch.

3. A wireless apparatus for preventing collisions consisting of a seriesof stations each comprising an antenna, an emitter; a rece1ver,- andmeans for alternately con- .and itself controlled by the waves receivedWitnesses:

mating the 1 na'with said emitterand receiver; combined with acircuitcontrolling said means and including a source of electricity, analternately moving switch, a distributing relay, and a signal device;and a second circuit controlling said relay from a companion station..In testimony, that I claim the foregoing asmy invention I have signednay-name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH BONHOMMEQ EUGENE WATTIER, v H. C. Coxn.

